Discovering Jacob
by Anita Reese
Summary: She liked that – possessing something. It gave her this new sort of power. She felt confident. She placed her hands in his shaggy hair and attacked his mouth with her plump lips.- Nessie starts high school with Jake in her thoughts.
1. Sweat

Her hands were traveling at a fast pace, although she was trembling. Her bare knees dug into the soft mattress of the bed. She managed to pull his gray cotton shirt over his head in a fluid motion and marvel over his muscular, russet chest. She'd seen his chest before. She had always tried to ignore it, since her mother was somewhat speculative of how she reacted to Jacob. But he was almost constantly without a shirt – but now he was hers – hers to look at.

She liked that – possessing something. It gave her this new sort of power. She felt confident. She placed her hands in his shaggy hair and attacked his mouth with her plump lips. His hands were warm against the small of her back and traveled up her spine. She felt an involuntary shiver work its way up, although she was anything but cold. She was _on fire_.

"Jacob," she whispered breathily. She hoped it sounded enticing. She pulled him closer and… and… nothing – just her sheets wrapped around her body.

She was sweating like crazy. Her palms felt sticky as she pressed them against the thick, yellow comforter to unwind it from her body. She needed something cool. Blood was really what she wanted, but she supposed a cool glass of water would make do. She shifted her position and threw her legs over her bed and onto the wood floor. It was chilly to her heated skin.

Renesmee was positive her parents heard her whispers. She felt embarrassed. Her cheeks were probably a bright red color. She blushed easily, which she blamed her mother for. "Your mother would blush all the time when she was human," her father said adoringly, giving Bella a tight squeeze.

"Thanks, Mom," Renesmee responded sarcastically, although a smile was tugging at the corners of her lips.

Thinking of her parents after a vivid dream like that made Renesmee nauseated. And then her chocolate brown eyes widened. Her father could read her mind. She wished she was able to shield her thoughts like Bella was able to, but no. Nessie got stuck with planting thoughts in other peoples' heads. It wasn't a bad talent by any means, but she could see how shielding would be useful.

And the dreams had become more frequent as of late. She blamed it on the sheer fact that Jacob was hanging around all the time. She couldn't complain to seeing him. Nessie _wanted_ him around, more than almost anything. There was some sort of pull to him that she couldn't explain. She didn't really want to think about it either.

Thinking confusing thoughts around three in the morning made her only more confused. And when Nessie was confused, it was impossible for her to get any sleep. And she needed sleep. She pushed open the door to the bathroom carefully, hoping that her parents hadn't taken refuge in the shower. She _would_ have heard water running, but she had still learned to be tentative around the house when she was supposed to be sleeping.

It was empty except for her reflection. She examined her face for a moment and cast her eyes down to the sink. She grabbed the glass and filled it with cool water before bringing it to her lips.

She had just been so stressed out as of late. "Of course I want to go to high school!" she had cried to her parents when she heard them talking it over at the Cullen house. They weren't surprised in the least bit when she burst into the room. Bella had simply looked at Edward with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"She was listening the whole time," Edward clarified. "I didn't think you'd mind, love." He smiled at her crookedly. Bella laughed in bell-like peals. Nessie figured her parents _wanted_ her to eavesdrop. They were talking in low voices, but not low enough. She could have heard them from upstairs. Which is where she had originally heard them, before creeping down the stairs.

Sometimes it sucked to have a dad who could read your thoughts.

"Carlisle said that your development has slowed enough for you to fit in with" – Edward had begun to say to his daughter. At the expression on her fair face, he smiled. "Of course you already heard that."

Nessie was going to say that thing, but there it was. He read her mind before she could even open her mouth. "Yeah, I did," she finally managed to put her word in. "And I think it's a great idea. I want to make friends. Home schooling gets boring," she added. "Don't get me wrong" –

"You love us," Edward cut her off, "but you want to connect with other kids _your age_."

Nessie didn't need to press the matter very far – it seemed like her parents were okay with it. She racked her brain for reasons why she wanted to go to high school, besides making friends. How long would these friends last, anyway? She was going to stop aging, and they would keep getting older until they were wrinkly ninety-nine year old crones.

Part of her already knew the answer. She had to get away from Jacob before she started tearing his clothes off with her sharp nails.

This thought made her blush yet again. She left the bathroom, listening for any signs that Edward had heard her. Perhaps they weren't here. Nessie rubbed her temples lightly and then sauntered back to her bedroom.

Tomorrow she was going to start high school. Not as a freshman, but as a junior. She knew she was smart enough, but it was still going to be tough. Physically she looked about seventeen. But she was really only about five years old, which was creepy.

She closed her eyes.

At least she didn't have to worry about what she was going to wear. Alice planned it out on the very first day she envisioned Nessie going to high school.

She grumbled. Every time she heard those words she felt her heart speed up. It was crazy. But nothing could go wrong. Everyone was going to be nice. And she'd be liked.

Nessie grunted.

Another thing she inherited from her lovely mother: she was a horrible liar.

**Author's Note: First chapter. If you like, review. :) Any tips or suggestions are welcome.**


	2. Maybe

**Author's Note: Wow. You guys are amazing. I didn't expect so many reviews! This chapter isn't _intense_, but the next one will be much more. ;) I had to make a chapter to set everything up, and this one was it. As for last chapter, the first part was just a dream. It was not a flashback. **

Rain splattered against the window in the only occupied room of the old cottage. Nessie pressed her hand against the glass. It wasn't raining earlier this morning when she had first woken up. She grimaced. That dream felt real. If only it had actually happened. She shook her head rapidly, as if that would shake out the remainder of thoughts of the dream. She didn't want her father snooping.

She rubbed her eyes before glancing at her alarm clock. Seven thirty. It didn't register in her head that classes started at eight until she was adjusted the straps of her emerald green bra. "School starts at eight…?" She pulled her eyebrows together, trying to figure it out. Her brain felt like mush. She pulled a sky-blue t-shirt with an extravagant design on it over her head and slipped a faded denim miniskirt over her thighs.

Her head hurt.

Maybe she could tell her parents she was sick. Her father would probably put her into quarantine or something. Maybe even give her to the hospital for a few days to make sure she hadn't caught some sort of disease. He was _so_ over-protective. Of course, Carlisle had been a doctor. Nessie figured Carlisle would know if she was making it all up.

Were there any other options? Her brain wasn't responding. She buttoned up the skirt slowly before slipping into sparkly ballet flats. Her hair would just have to stay as it usually was – waist-length bronze curls cascading down her back.

She ran towards the Cullen's house reluctantly. She wanted to turn around and throw herself onto her springy mattress and sleep for an eternity. It sounded promising – nothing to wake her up from a sweet dream.

But maybe something good could come from going to school. Maybe she would learn something. Maybe she would find someone to distract her from Jacob. The Cullen's house was in clear view by this point, and she sprinted over.

The smell of eggs wafted into her sensitive nostrils. She cringed. Who was making breakfast? Why were they making breakfast? She had just hunted last night. She wasn't hungry. And the only time they ever made breakfast was when Jacob was over.

Wait.

Jacob was over?

She heard her heart beating unevenly, quickly. The whole dream had come rushing back to her in fragments. She wanted to curse. Loudly. She heard a snort from the kitchen. What if that was Edward… laughing at her? No, he was more likely to be chastising her. She could imagine it easily. He would start by saying her full name – "Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you are far too young to be thinking of such things" – even though he was probably thinking the same thing when he was her _maturity_. Not her age necessarily…

She hadn't realize she had glued herself to the floor until her name was called from the kitchen. "Nessie, you should come in. We have to talk about something." It was her father's voice. No – he was going to scold her. She felt blood rush to her cheeks.

"Dad, that's not fair" – she started, moving her legs quickly, as if walking fast would allow her to pass up this 'talk'.

"It's not about _that_." He grinned when she walked in. He was frying up an extra serving of eggs. She refused to let her gaze linger to the dining table in the other room. She refused to look anywhere but into her father's golden eyes. "It's about school."

She nodded. "Right, of course. I knew that! I was just saying how it wasn't fair that I – uh – have to go to school. Yeah." She cringed inwardly. She hoped there was a class that could teach her to be a better liar. And it was unfair when she couldn't even hide her mind from him.

He laughed. "You don't _have_ to go to school, Nessie. It was your choice," he pointed out. Nessie folded her arms. "You need to learn to live with the consequences of your actions."

"I don't need to be taught a lesson right now, Dad," she responded curtly. "Can you please just cut to the chase?" Her patience was slipping away from her rapidly. "I don't have time for this!"

"Fine," Edward said, turning off the burner and putting the eggs onto a large plate. "You're going to introduce yourself as my niece" –

Nessie's attention was elsewhere. She had heard the footsteps moments before they had reached the doorway of the kitchen. She noticed his height first, as usual. And then her eyes drifted downwards to his face, where he was looking just as handsome as he had last time she saw him. And he was wearing a cotton gray shirt…

She felt herself blush. He was wearing the same thing he had been wearing in her dream. She wanted to turn away, but it would seem far too suspicious. "Hi Jake," she squeaked. What was wrong with her? Her throat tightened and refused to let her say anything else.

"Hey Nessie! I heard you're starting school today," he nodded with a playful grin. A playful grin. What did that mean? Did that mean 'sucks for you, you're going to school' or 'you look good'? Why was she obsessing over these things right now? Her hands were balled into fists and she was squeezing them together with the utmost amount of pressure…

_Cool down, Nessie,_ she told herself just as Edward growled. Why was her father growling? She shot him a questionable look. "Cool down, Dad," she said. _I'm just talking to him. Leave me alone, okay?_ "Yeah, I am. I'm going to be late, too."

Her feet remained in the same position as if she hadn't any intention to try to make it to school on time. Jacob laughed. She liked his laugh.

Wait… why wasn't she moving if she was going to be late? She must have sounded stupid. Not just stupid, but really, _really_ stupid. She winced. When did she start acting like this around Jacob, anyway? He had just been a really good friend a few months ago. Now he was a really _hot_ friend.

She felt a tingling sensation in her chest as she went over the last few thoughts in her head. And then she remembered she had an invader in her head. "I have to go. Dad, can you drive me…?"

Shit. Why was she asking her dad to drive her? He could read her thoughts throughout the whole entire car ride, so she'd probably have to think of something like unicorns and butterflies.

"I think your mom wanted to do it." He finished a bit nervously, as if _he_ didn't want to be in the same car as Nessie. It occurred to Nessie that maybe he didn't enjoy hearing her thoughts just as much as she didn't.

"Right." Nessie nodded.

"I could drive you," Jacob offered, running a hand through his unkempt black hair. "I don't have anything else to do" –

"No!" Edward and Nessie exclaimed. Nessie covered her mouth quickly, her cheeks turning bright red. _I'm not obvious at all, _she thought sarcastically. "Bella really wanted to drive her," Edward explained. Jacob looked puzzled, with his eyebrows knotted together and his teeth biting his lower lip.

"Yeah. It's this whole mother-daughter bonding moment, you know?" Nessie added. She should really learn to think about what she was going to say. She sounded utterly dumb right now. Maybe she would end up failing all of her classes. With the way she was going this morning, she wouldn't be all that surprised if it ended up happening.

As if on cue, Bella appeared in the kitchen with the keys to her Ferrari jingling in her pale hand. "Ready to go?" she asked, saving Nessie from any more awkward moments with Jacob and Edward. "You're going to be late."

"I know," Nessie shrugged. She picked up her backpack from the floor before she followed her mother to the garage, feeling both Jacob and Edward's eyes on her back. She hoped Jacob would look at other places on her backside besides her obvious back, but with Edward in the room it probably wouldn't be safe. Why couldn't her father just leave her alone once in a while? "Isn't the Ferrari going to cause a lot of attention?" Nessie asked quietly as she got into the passenger's seat.

Bella responded with a sorry smile. "Edward hid the other keys. Sorry," she apologized.

Nessie's breath caught as the high school came into view. And everyone was staring right back at her.

"Remember, Nessie, you are Edward's much older brother's daughter whose parents got into a car crash, and Edward and I adopted you. Got it?"

"Yeah. I'm Dad – er – _Edward's_ niece," Nessie responded as she parked. "I got it. See you later." She hopped out of the seat quickly and swung open the door. She slammed it on accident, and then walked to the front office.

She could feel the eyes of every student poring into her. It was uncomfortable. She pulled her class schedule out of her backpack and examined it. Her first class was history. Nessie swallowed, hoping that something would just pop out of the earth and whisk her away from here.

"Okay, face your fears," she mumbled to herself and started toward her classroom.


	3. School may not be fun, but plotting is!

**Sorry for a really, really late update! But I love all of your reviews, honestly. And I started this chapter a long time ago but never had the patience to finish it. ;) But it's finished now, and I've got some really good ideas for the next one, if you catch my drift. AND GUESS WHAT? NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE JACOB'S POINT OF VIEW. I know the story is called Discovering Jacob, not Discovering Renesmee, but I really, really can't resist putting Jacob's spin on the story. ;) Who else wants to find out what's in that sexy werewolf's mind? I know I do.**

* * *

If Nessie said that nobody looked at her strangely the first day, she'd be lying. She was pretty sure _everyone_ in the school had looked at her—the blush in her cheeks had been a vivid red the whole time, which was mortifying—and as she made her way to her classroom she had realized she hadn't felt more watched in her life.

Minus the parts where everyone was looking at her when the Volturi was about to come when she was really little. But that was _different_. Those people were there to help her family out. These people—well, she honestly didn't know what these people were doing.

_Being a mind-reader definitely had its good points_, she thought as she lazily turned the doorknob to her first class. She hoped it wouldn't open. And it didn't. It wouldn't budge. Nessie would have given up right then and there and ran straight to La Push if she thought Jacob would be there. But no doubt would he still be at her house, lazing around. And she did not want to go back to her house. Besides, she can't do _anything_ at her house when her father was there. She felt he still treated her like a five year old. Even though she kind of was a five year old, she wasn't going to go tell him that.

She sighed and looked around. Everyone had cleared out within two minutes. She pulled the handle of the door one more time, but it still wouldn't open. She rubbed her hands together and pulled on the door as hard as she could and rammed her whole body against it.

"—thirteen colonies—"

The door had swung open, much to Nessie's embarrassment. The teacher looked over to her and raised his eyebrows. Nessie cursed the random burst of strength that had flown through her biceps when the door refused to open. The door must've been locked. The teacher was looking at her, completely aghast. She wasn't sure if it was from her appearance or from the fact that the door had just been locked and she had slammed into it to open it AND it worked.

Nessie didn't want to intrude in the lesson. But it appeared that she was late—stupid door—and she wasn't going to get out of an introduction now. Or out of any of her classmates' stares.

The teacher cleared his throat and shuffled his papers quickly. "Is this Renesmee Cullen?" he asked, although he had no other names on the sheet. And they hardly ever got a transfer student. He vaguely remembered the last time anyone transferred was when Isabella Swan was at the school, and that was over five years ago.

"Yes—sorry I'm late. Traffic," she lied, before realizing how stupid she sounded. How could there be traffic in a town with one stoplight? "I was in… Seattle this morning?" Her voice came out like more of a question than a statement. The teacher didn't seem to notice, much to Nessie's relief.

"I'm Mr. Bennett," he mumbled, before motioning to a seat at the front of the room with his red white-board marker. "You can sit there."

Nessie nodded and quickly walked to her seat. Great—she was in a place where everyone could stare at her. She wondered why there a seat remained unoccupied next to her. It struck her as odd to have an empty table in the front and center of the room. She slipped her backpack onto the ground by her and shuffled through it for a notebook while the teacher began to drone about the thirteen colonies of America. Or whatever he was talking about. She wasn't really paying attention.

She leaned over her notebook and doodled over one of the pages while her long bronze hair shielded anyone's prying eyes. She dimly noticed she was scribbling hearts all over the page, along with the name Jacob wherever it would fit. She scanned over the page after it was completely covered in ink and drummed her fingers against the table idly.

She felt a wad of paper hit her in the back. She glanced at the teacher. After realizing he wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying, she plucked it up from the ground and smoothed out the paper.

_Pay attention._

She scowled. What the hell? She looked back at the people behind her—of which all of them were either sleeping or staring right back at her. She turned back around and crumpled the note back up. What a stupid note. Did people actually pass those kinds of notes in high school? She had read a couple books about it and most of the notes were either some sort of bad poetry or disgusting gossip.

Maybe Forks went against that sort of note-passing. Maybe they believed in high education or something. That would be stupid. Wasn't high school supposed to be fun? Why did she want to go to high school in the first place? It was a stupid, stupid, stupid idea and now she was going to have to deal with the consequences. A seven hour day filled with nothing but boring school.

And then another note hit her. She scooped it up off of the tile floor without even sparing a glance at the teacher. She didn't even want to read it, but curiosity got the better of her. Her eyes roamed over the binder paper.

_Just kidding._

_Okay, whoever wrote those notes_, she decided, _is unquestionably stupid. _If she knew who it was—or at least, what they looked like—she would scribble down a note and throw it back at them. But what would she even write on the note? 'Leave me alone' sounded a bit weak. And if anything, Renesmee Carlie Cullen was not weak. As she proved earlier with the whole door thing.

And then another note hit her. This was getting repetitive. She held back an instinctive growl and opened the note.

_Who's Jacob?_

Was this guy a _stalker_? How could anyone possibly know about Jacob? So she had written all over her notebook with his name, but she had used her hair to cover it. And her purple notebook was shut right now, thank you very much.

The bell rang, breaking her train of thought. She slowly put away her things, stealing a glance at everyone in the entire room. She eliminated a few people who could definitely not have thrown the note—including that one guy with drool all over his desk, ew— before throwing her backpack over her shoulder.

"Hey. Renesmee, right?"

She looked over to see a boy wearing a black t-shirt and low denim jeans talking to her with his hands in his pockets. "Um, who are you?" she asked, raising one of her eyebrows. She gave him the once-over subtly. He was nothing compared to Jacob, honestly. He had dark blond hair and brown eyes and wasn't really tall. And he wasn't muscular like Jake, either.

"I'm Jordan Marks," he said with a lethargic grin. Or maybe it was lecherous. Gross.

"And I've got to get to class. I've got biology. Later," she said, turning her back to him and heading to Mr. Bennett. He signed the slip of paper she handed him and then she left the classroom.

She felt hot-tempered, and she wanted to get the hell out of this school. She didn't need to go to high school. Couldn't she just run away with Jacob?

Hmmm.

That sounded like a good plan. During biology she spent time in her notebook, plotting it out. She'd need to make Jacob willing. Most guys were horndogs, anyway, so that shouldn't be hard. Unless… well, what if Jacob didn't find her attractive? What if he was just like a brother? Ew. No. She would make sure he wanted her. She'd do everything in her power. She grinned sinisterly.

Her lab partner gave her a funny look, which she didn't notice.

She smiled brightly when the class ended, not even aware of the looks everyone was giving her anymore. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she knew just how she was going to get it.


	4. Over and Over

Jacob's point of view

"So, what am I going to do?" It felt as if I was talking to myself, or a tree or just something that didn't really need to be talked to. The cold morning air seemed to be the closest thing to a confidant, seeing as Leah didn't appear to be listening. So much for having an 'open relationship' with her. I'd tell her about things and she'd just look at me as if I was a pedophile or something. Sometimes she just ignored me. Today looked like one of those days -- where I just talk and she pretends to listen.

"Is it possible for you to listen to me for at least five seconds?" I asked, throwing my hands into the air. Leah barked an acidic laugh. She smiled afterwards and ran a hand through her dark hair. Something was obviously wrong with her. "What's the matter with you?" At that question she merely shook her head.

"No-thing," she grinned. "I'm just happy, that's all." After a few seconds her mouth twisted to a frown. "Is there a problem with me being happy?" She was actually expecting me to answer that. Leah was _crazy_.

"No," I stated, "but I was hoping you'd be able to help me instead of talking about yourself."

"You are so fucking _selfish_, Jake," she snapped. "Don't you even want to know about why I'm happy?"

"Hmm. Since I'm apparently so _selfish_, why would I care in the first place? You, of all people, should know I'm a lost cause." I grinned, although I doubted she would understand the joke. Leah has no sense of humor. Zero. Zip. None.

Leah scowled. "Well, if you want to know what I think"-

Now I was wondering why I even wanted to talk to Leah.

-"you are a completely idiotic guy to think Edward would even consider letting you and Renesmee out of his sight. And he can read your obscene mind beforehand and be disgusted with your X-rated thoughts about a five year old"-

"Hey! That's taking it way out of proportion! She's not physically or mentally five!" So, she _was_ looking at me as if I was a pedophile all of those times. I knew it.

"She's only had five birthdays. She's five. Admit it. You. Are. A. Pedophile." She had a completely straight face, which made it worse. If she had been joking, I wouldn't have wanted to beat her up quite so badly. "Besides, you are like, what, twenty-five? Even if she's not physically five"-

-"Which she's not"-

-"you aren't allowed to have intercourse with a minor."

"I'm not twenty-five!"

"Right. My mistake. Thirty-two. Sorry, Jake." She patted my arm. I wanted to rip hers off. After presumably noticing that I was seething with anger, she let out another laugh. "What, Jake? You can't take a joke?" I growled. That had always been _my_ line.

"No way in fucking hell were you kidding," I said just as she removed her hand from my ridiculously warm arm.

"I was. No need to get worked up--unless you think I'm right..."

"You aren't," I assured her quickly. I had to cool down, to stay calm. "I wouldn't want you to get cocky in your old age. What is it, forty-seven this year?"

"Shut it, Jake. Don't forget that you're just in love with a female version of that bloodsucker," she grinned. I winced. Why'd she have to phrase it like that? An image of Edward in a dress was not something I needed to see. Ever. "But your plan isn't going to work on Edward. I guarantee it."

"Watch me." I turned and took off running in the direction of Nessie's house. I wasn't going to let Leah's pessimism get me down. No way. I was _not_ a pedophile. It's not like I could control it anyway. It's just this feeling that I experience when I'm around her. A lot of it has to do with imprinting. But another huge part is the fact that Nessie is just so fucking sexy. She has wavy bronze locks that spiral down to her fine waist and skin that glistens like dew in the early morning. And she has nice legs, long but not stick-like like those models in magazines. She has soft curves and supple breasts, not that I had ever gotten a chance to see them. Hell, I wanted to like no other. And she would be just mine. No other men, although now that she was going to school...

Shit. I can not let any of those guys get their hands on her. I doubt Edward would let that happen, but Nessie has a mind of her own. What if she does...?

No. It was not going to happen. I was almost at the Cullen's house by this time. I had to scrape Nessie from my thoughts before Edward decided to try to kill me. Not that he would even be able to get a scratch on me, of course. The sun was rising much higher into the sky, I noted. Somehow the rays of light only made me think of Nessie and her silky hair and pink, bow-shaped lips and a lot of other things on her body that were pink. And that I could kiss.

Shitdamnfuck. Edward was going to kill me.

I could smell the rancid aroma of vampire from where I stood. Plugging my nose probably wouldn't help much, although I really wanted to. It smelled like dead corpses whenever I visited, which I guess is reasonable because they are dead bodies. Except for Nessie. She smells like coconuts and shea butter.

But as soon as I entered the house, the smell of bacon and eggs overwhelmed me. "Breakfast!" I barked.

"At least it smells better than you, dog," Rosalie's sugar-sweet voice hissed at me. Ah, blondie. Up to her old game of insulting me with old nicknames. You'd think we'd be over this, considering it's been over five years, but Rosalie refuses to admit she lost. She turned up the corners of her lips in an approximation of a smile and walked past me slowly, sending a whiff of sour smells towards my nose. I held back my gag reflex.

"Still using old jokes, blondie?" I cracked a smile. She remained passive as she walked towards the stairs. "Bitch," I murmured under my breath. Her eyes widened for a second before she continued up the stairs.

"Son of a bitch," was her quiet reply. Good to know she hasn't changed.

I followed the wafts of sizzling bacon and bubbling grease to the typically spotless kitchen. Edward flipped the bacon absentmindedly. It was the last package. He'd have to buy some more. "Jacob."

God, Edward could be sardonically serious. I wondered why Bella even wanted to marry a guy who drove a fucking _Volvo_. A family car. Who cares if it's shiny and silver? I can ride a freaking motorcycle. I thought girls were supposed to dig the guys who take risks, not the ones who frolic away from their girlfriends and attempt suicide afterwards. I --

"Jacob," he repeated.

"Edward." I rolled my eyes. He set the bacon and eggs on a plate. He grabbed a paper towel and began to blot off all the mouth-watering grease and fats. "No! Don't do that!"

"Nessie doesn't need all that spare fat," he replied, glancing at me.

"Wait." I folded my arms over my chest. "That's for Nessie? What about _me_?" When did I become so egocentric?

"What about you? If you want food, make it yourself." He threw the spatula at me. I caught it single-handedly and scowled.

"Nessie hardly eats any human food, and she hunted last night," a very familiar voice said. It sounded like the wind and the soft chime of bells. "Hey, Jake. Help yourself." She stole the plate of eggs and bacon from under Edward's nose and handed it to me. "Here to see Nessie off?"

Bella. How much she has changed. I would be lying if I said she was more beautiful as a vampire than a human. I missed her old face that was warm with emotion and blood. Now she just looked cool and controlled. She was too much like Edward. A low growl from Edward assured me that he didn't agree. Not that I had expected him to; he was a filthy blood sucker. Still, Bella was my best friend. And her daughter--

"Yep," I nodded, cutting off my thoughts before they turned into anything even remotely vulgar. "Is she up yet?" I moved over to the dining table in the room over, Bella following me closely. Edward stalked off silently (hopefully to make more eggs) with his jaw clenched. That was becoming a nasty habit of his. I set the plate down with a clash and scooted towards the table. Bella sat down opposite me.

"She just got up," Bella assented with a weak nod. "I hope she'll like school." She furrowed her brows together and leaned against the table with a sigh. "It's just... I feel so disconnected from Nessie. Edward can, at least, read her mind."

"I doubt that would bring Nessie closer to him," I snorted. She looked perplexed. Good old' Bella. "You don't know what it's like to have that blood"- I paused at her glare and backtracked- "to have Edward invade your head all the time. Nessie probably hates it."

Bella pursed her lips in a very skeptical way. It's not unlike her to believe that Edward was not perfect; that someone could not like _her_ Edward. I suppressed another snort.

"Hm," she mused, straightening out her face. "I'm going to see Alice." And hardly a moment later did she disappear from my sight. I raked my fingers through my hair--when did it get so messy?--just as I heard the door open and soft footsteps cross the hardwood floors.

There was a pause and some very quiet, muffled voices. I took the time to shovel the eggs into my mouth. After polishing off the bacon, I wiped my mouth and headed to the kitchen. I could still hear the voices, but I tried not to eavesdrop. And the fact that I wanted to see Nessie so badly seemed to dull my hearing but heighten my sight. I entered the kitchen a moment before she did. And as soon as I saw her, all was lost.

Damnshitfuck...! I could see the majority of her soft, porcelain thighs. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and over her round breasts. The impulse to pull her to me was freaking unbearable. And fuck. I was going to get murdered by Edward. "Hi, Jake," she said in a very light voice. Her damn voice sounded like a tranquil stream. I wonder what it would sound like when she screamed.

"Hey, Nessie," I grinned childishly, hoping to hide the fact that I was going to have a hard-on if she kept standing there. "I heard you're starting school today." And it sucks for me, because right now I don't even want to see you looking at anybody else. Because right now I'd like to just pin you against the wall and tear off that shirt of yours--

Edward growled. Shit.

"Yeah, I am. I'm going to be late, too," she responded irritably. Oh shit. Was I wasting her time or something? She probably didn't even want to see me right now. I glanced at Edward, who still happened to be glaring at me. I laughed nervously. "I have to go. Dad, can you drive me...?" Her voice trailed off uncertainly. Why was she asking her dad to drive her? I doubted that would be the most comfortable car ride.

"I think your mom wanted to do it," Edward replied. So, what now? He didn't want to be in the same car as his daughter? By now I was positive that Bella's fear of Edward and Nessie having a better relationship than Bella and Nessie was ludicrous.

"Right," she nodded, her hair swaying.

"I could drive you," I offered. I ran my hand through my hair and tried to look anywhere but Nessie. "I don't have anything else to do"-

"No!" Nessie and Edward shouted simultaneously. My eyebrows knitted themselves together subconsciously and I was left to ponder whether Nessie even really liked me at all. Sure as hell didn't seem like it. Nessie's hand flew to her mouth right afterwards and then she flushed a beautiful rose color and I was lost all over again. I bit my lip.

"Bella really wanted to drive her," Edward finished, although I doubted it. He was a fucking liar.

"Yeah. It's this whole mother-daughter bonding moment, you know?" Nessie added.

Maybe Nessie just hated me.

Bella jingled the car keys. My eyes flicked over to her hand, where the keys to the Ferrari were held. Nice. "Ready to go? You're going to be late," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I know." And Nessie shrugged apathetically. She leaned down, grabbed her backpack, and headed out of the kitchen. My eyes were glued to her perfectly round ass. And of course, Edward didn't move a muscle until they were gone. And then he clenched his jaw and pinched the skin between his eyebrows. He was a killjoy, quite frankly.

"Jacob, do you want me to kill you?" he asked, a tone of desperation hidden in his voice. "I don't think Nessie needs any of your... 'advancements'." God. He got straight to the point, didn't he? "She's starting school. And I would much rather she had a nice, peaceful time in high school. She doesn't need anyone distracting and irritating her."

I swallowed. So I was annoying her. I folded my arms over my gray t-shirt and tilted my head slightly. "I'm not going to 'distract' or 'irritate' or make any 'advancements' on Nessie," I said, repeating some of his words with a voice of annoyance. "It's not my fault I imprinted."

"Imprinting is a lot different from wanting to... have intercourse with her."

God.

This. Is. So. Embarrassing.

It's one thing to have the father of the girl you like telling you not to have sex with her, but it's a completely different story when the father looks about seventeen and is using words that old guys use. Next thing I know he's going to start calling me a young 'whippersnapper'.

"I can't just stop coming over here," I stated.

"That's true. But you can stop talking to Nessie." And he said that as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can."

"Bella doesn't agree with you."

"How would you know?"

"You can't do that."

"It's not forever, Jacob."

"Sure, sure." Easy for him to say. He's immortal.

"I am not going to let you have sex with my daughter," he repeated, with a hard look. He looked pretty damn scary with his eyebrows furrowed like that.

"Not like Nessie would let me anyway," I stretched my arms graciously.

"Exactly."

"You suck, Edward."

And he just ignored me.

-----------------------------

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I can update more often now, so you can expect another update soon. And guess what? This is the longest chapter I've made for Discovering Jacob so far! However, I didn't get even half as many reviews last chapter as I did before, which kind of disappointed me. But hey, I can understand that. :P Anyway, please review~ I want to hear what you guys think.**


	5. Survive

_"Nessie..." he growled into her perspiring neck, his large, russet hands grazing the soft, overheated flesh of her back. Her back arched involuntarily--what could she say, she tended to shiver when her ticklish skin was touched--and her lips parted ever so slightly. She closed it tightly; she knew if she said anything the moment would indefinitely be ruined. His hands slid up to cup her face. He turned his intense gaze to meet hers. Her stomach flipped. _

_  
"Nessie," he repeated, his voice rough and breathless, "can I ask you something?" She could see the faintest of grins on his face, but it wasn't completely reassuring. No, actually, it wasn't reassuring at all. Blood rushed to her cheeks almost immediately. But she could trust Jake. And she knew it proved hard to resist him with his thick, dark eyelashes and the playful expression behind his tempting stare. _

_  
"Um, yeah," she mumbled, looking away. She twisted the sheets in her palm and squeezed them tightly. "Ask away." _

_  
He nodded. "What is the answer to problem B?" _

_  
Nessie tilted her head. What was he talking about? Did she misunderstand him? "What?" she asked, furrowing her brows together._

"I asked," a completely different voice responded, "what is the answer to problem B?"

Nessie's eyelids fluttered open. She felt uncomfortable realizing that she had been sleeping in class and that what just happened was all a _dream_. Just a freaking dream. Right. Because Nessie couldn't get Jacob alone. In a room. With a bed. Involving lots of kissing and sweat. Her cheeks burned and now the teacher was looking expectantly at her, tapping her foot against the floor. What class was she in? She looked at the board--a flurry of chalk and numbers and symbols and...

She didn't know the answer and she wasn't even sure what 'problem b' was anyway. She hesitated. "Uh... seven?" It was a stupid guess, she had to admit. She smirked at her own ignorance.

The teacher was not amused. "Next time, have the decency to pay attention during class, Miss Cullen." She marked something down on her clipboard and resumed the lesson. Oh, shit. Nessie folded her arms over her desk and groaned. It was her first day and a teacher _already_ hated her.

"Looks like you're her new favorite," the girl in front of her turned towards her and grinned. Light hair framed her pale face.

"Huh?" Nessie couldn't manage a coherent thought, let alone speak.

"Trust me," the girl smiled knowingly, "it's not a good thing."

Perplexed, Nessie opened her mouth to ask the girl what exactly she meant by that when the teacher cleared her throat, presumably at Nessie. She shut it abruptly and lowered her eyes to her desk. She hated school. She hated consequences. She hated her freaking family, for using reverse psychology on her and making her think she wanted to go to school. _Obviously, I don't,_ she thought dryly.

The only thing that seemed to comfort her at all was the thought of Jacob. Although it seemed farfetched at the moment, she would make Jake want her. She'd use everything she had--charm, sex appeal, and the power of placing thoughts into his head. And she looked up hypnotizing during her free block, just incase the former list didn't work. She wasn't sure how she planned on hypnotizing Jake, but she'd figure it out. She hoped.

And then she'd somehow manage to seduce him without Edward noticing. Thankfully, Alice wouldn't be a problem. But where...? A hotel room could very possibly ruin the moment.

The bell rang. She sighed. There was no point in denying it; she was a hopeless romantic. "Miss Cullen, would you stay for a few moments?" Nessie looked up and frowned subtly. She just wanted to go home...

She stuffed her binders carelessly into her new black backpack and flung it over her shoulder. She tried to keep her face passive but she knew she was going to have a sour expression. "How did you find your first day?" the teacher inquired loudly. Nessie took a sideways glance and realized that the classroom was empty. Seemed like everyone just wanted to get home. She couldn't blame them.

Nessie decided to humor herself. "It was _fascinating_. Incredible." She widened her big, chocolate eyes to illustrate her point.

The teacher raised her eyebrows doubtfully. "And how are you finding life with your uncle?"

"It's almost as if I lived there my whole life," she responded with a grin. The teacher has no idea.

"Is your uncle well?"

Nessie raised her eyebrows. Why was she inquiring about Edward? He was probably just a student of hers. Nessie bit her lip. She couldn't say she knew much about Edward's life at Forks. "He's as well as can be expected." She wasn't even sure what she had meant by that. She loved her father, but there was no point in denying she had a few bitter resentments about him--but she had to say most families were like that. Right?

"Try to pay attention, Nessie," the teacher remarked pointedly. "You might survive if you open your eyes."

"Gotcha," Nessie said, wondering if she had completely missed something while she thought about her father. And what the hell did the teacher mean by that? Nessie knew how to survive. Probably better than anyone else on this freaking campus. She turned around and walked to the door. She turned the handle and breezed out.

Did her mom tell her where she was going to pick her up? She racked her brain for any answers. Did her parents expect her to walk home? She groaned at the thought. They wouldn't make her do that, would they? "Nessie!" Her brain completely shut down at his voice. She took a quick breath, feeling completely uneasy. _Please, just let that be my imagination for once,_ she thought, turning towards the voice.

She did not want to insult herself, but her imagination never lived up to the real thing. If possible, he was even sexier than she remembered and she was just... well, flustered. She immediately caught her breath and smoothed down her hair. "Jake. Where's my mom?"

"Nice to see you, too," he grinned. "She told me to pick you up." He raked his hand through his hair sheepishly.

Nessie gaped at him. "You're so kidding me." She covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry--that sounded incredibly rude. It's just..." _I didn't expect to be able to begin my plans so soon._ She plastered an easy grin to her face and waved off her previous words. "Where's the car?"

"Over here," he replied. "I'm surprised. Bella's letting me drive the Ferrari."

"I'm surprised Dad is letting you drive me," she blurted. "Um, I mean, usually he never trusts anyone, because he thinks I'm so fragile or whatever."

Jacob laughed, getting into the car. "You, fragile? Those aren't the words I would describe you with." He started the ignition as Nessie slipped her seatbelt over her torso.

Nessie couldn't help herself. "And what words," she began with a coy smile, "would you happen to describe me with?" She knew she was flirting. Her pulse was beating much faster than usual and she really just wanted to throw herself at Jacob but she would never do that, especially while he was driving.

His eyebrows rose at the question. She noticed a faint red paint his face. _Aha, I caught him by surprise,_ she grinned. "Um, haven't really--mm..." he started. Nessie suddenly had an idea.

"Pull over."

"What? Noo," he responded.

"Suit yourself." She grabbed his hand, a lascivious smile playing about her lips.

He wished he had pulled over.

**A/N: So sorry for the late chapter. Anyways, you guys know what to do~ review please! :)**


	6. Phase One

"I don't think it's a good idea to let Jacob drive Nessie home," Edward said, his eyes fixed on the table. "I don't think you can trust him with her." He looked up to appraise Bella's reaction. She sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair.

"Edward," she started, pulling herself up to sit on the counter, "give it a rest. I trust Jacob. He's been my best friend for so long, you know? I doubt Nessie would let him do anything harmful, anyway." Her hair splayed across her face as she tilted her head. In a flash, Edward tucked it behind her ear.

He leaned in towards her neck, tickling her flesh with his breath. "I don't know. Nessie's a lot like you, Bella." He didn't have to mention the time when Bella wanted to have sex with him and he politely refused; Bella could tell what he was indirectly saying.

She laughed. "Oh, I'd like to think she's more like you," she purred, wrapping her hands around his neck. "And Jacob isn't like that."

"You'd be surprised," Edward murmured, biting the skin on her neck softly. "You'd be surprised."

---------

Jacob kissed Nessie square on the mouth, his hands dipping beneath the hem of her shirt. He grabbed on to it, and then began sliding her shirt over her head. He tossed it over onto the dashboard and then caressed her pale skin with the tips of his fingers. He prodded the button of her jeans, encouraged by her quiet moans. She hopped over and into his seat, blocking him seeing the road clearly. She grabbed his face, bringing it closer, closer.

His hands drew circles around her bare stomach before moving around to her back and lowering to the pockets on her jeans. She removed her hands from his face and wound them around her back to unclasp her bra. And then...

Nessie looked at him expectantly. She sat on her side of the car, her head tilted. His eyes widened. His mouth felt sore. What had just happened? He had pulled off onto an empty street somehow. "What happened?" he questioned, dazed.

Nessie's eyes scanned his face. What if her power hadn't worked? He didn't seem aroused, not at all. She suppressed a huff and rubbed her eyelids. "Umm..." she bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. He blacked out for ten seconds and she had no explanation. She had managed to maneuver the wheel so they were on a street that hardly anyone passed on. She was actually quite proud of her ability, considering the fact that her father said that she would never, ever get a driver's license as long as she lived. At the thought of her father, she wrinkled her nose. He was definitely not something she wanted to think about.

Jacob raised his eyebrows. Why did she have to bite her lip? He couldn't sustain himself enough when she was just sitting there, especially after that strange episode. And now she had to bite her lip and look embarrassed? His hands shook slightly. He tried to tell himself to get some self-control, but he couldn't help it. The car had nearly stopped. If he just kissed Nessie now, he could satisfy himself for a while. He could handle just one kiss. He glanced at Nessie.

Nessie pursed her lips. They could do it just once, right? She could sustain her memories around Edward. He wouldn't have to know about it. She could control it.

Jacob leaned in. Nessie dipped her head. His nose collided with her forehead.

"Shit!" Nessie exclaimed, rubbing her forehead back and forth quickly. "You're hard!" Her words escaped her lips before she could stop them. Crap. She sounded like a pervert. "I m-mean... not like..." she fumbled. God--he was going to kiss her and she had to decide look down at that moment? He was going to kiss her! She had ruined her whole entire life. She was going to grow up to be an old spinster and never marry and be celibate and have no kids... Okay, she was exaggerating. She knew she wouldn't age any older than by the time she is at her prime, but what if this one pivotal moment changed all that? What if her genetic coding suddenly messed up and she would start aging ten years a day? Her eyes widened at the thought as she continued nursing her forehead.

Jacob brushed his nose, considering telling Nessie, "In more ways than one." He decided against it; she'd probably think he was a sex-addict or something. He took his hand off of his nose. It didn't hurt at all, which wasn't surprising, considering he's gotten punched in the face before and nothing came of that. "No worries," he offered, lifting his hands into the air in the universal sign of defeat. "It was my fault." If only she hadn't looked down, he could have kissed her. He could have felt her lips against his, taste her. He lowered his eyes at the thought, except the only thing he ended up focusing on was her subtle hint of cleavage. He glanced away quickly, hoping she hadn't noticed.

"It wasn't your fault," she blurted, fixing the strap of her bra absentmindedly. "I... s-shouldn't have moved," she stuttered. Her face was bright red, according to the glimpse she caught of herself in the mirror on her side of the car. She sounded like a complete idiot. She knew she sounded like a complete idiot. Why did she have to sound like a complete idiot? Her first and only chance was ruined. Ruined! She dipped her head again, thankful that she felt no collision this time. Her eyes were watery and her vision blurred. She blinked a few times, her eyes focusing on the zipper of his jeans. Shit. She looked away, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her cheeks burned.

"So..." Jacob started. He winced. He sounded like the lamest person alive. He wasn't a fucking teenager anymore. How did their kiss get messed up so much? Adults weren't supposed to miss someone's mouth. Especially when that person has incredibly pink, bow-shaped lips and that looked so soft...

"...yeah," Nessie said, brushing her bangs out of her face. Her hands fidgeted. She wanted to send him more images, use her power. But it didn't work last time, so why should it work now? She stared at her palms. Why wasn't it working? She gazed at him, and then into his dark eyes. His face was moving towards hers. She froze. What was she going to do? What if he was going to say something like, "Oh, you've got sauce on your nose"? She was already mortified and... and...

His lips touched hers. It was hesitant; like he was afraid she was going to pull away. Nessie grinned slightly, bringing her hands up to cup his face. His lips moved against hers, probing her mouth open. She obliged, letting his tongue slip in. He tasted like cinnamon, which she thought was kind of funny. She wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to taste like, but cinnamon seemed completely random to her.

He ran his tongue along her bottom lip. He couldn't believe he was actually kissing her. It was just how he had imagined it--except for the whole part before when he had bumped into her. He found his hands fiddling with the bottom of her shirt and sliding around the waistband of her jeans. He pulled away.

"You taste like cinnamon," Nessie said. She wasn't sure why she said it. Was there something in her brain that caused her to say the first thing on her mind? She backtracked. "Not that cinnamon's a bad taste. No, certainly not. It's great. It tastes great. I mean, you taste great. Er--no, that's not what I meant..." Couldn't she shut up? Her mouth kept rambling on.

Jacob grinned, stepping on the gas. He had to get Nessie home before either, one, Edward gets suspicious, or two, he does something he'll regret. "What are you doing?" Nessie asked.

"Driving you home," he answered.

"What?" she cried. "I don't even have my seatbelt on! You can't drive me home!" She grabbed her seatbelt, hanging from the wall for emphasis. "Please?" she added, as an afterthought.

"We're going to be late. And the bloodsucker will be..." he stopped himself. Shit. Edward was Nessie's dad. He couldn't insult her father in front her!

Nessie folded her arms. When did he get to be such a goody-goody? "Fine," she huffed. She was acting like a little five year old. She figured it wasn't attractive. So she pulled on her seatbelt. It sucked how Jacob could ruin her giddy mood with the snap of his fingers, practically. She had her first kiss. Ever. And now she has to do her homework, and then go to school in the morning...? When will she get alone time with Jake? When will she get long enough time to seduce him? "Will you take me to school tomorrow?" she suggested, her voice light.

"Um," he began. "If I take you, I'm not sure we'll even make it to school."

His words repeated in her brain several times. ("If I take you...") She couldn't help herself. If he took her virginity... she giggled. She was just not herself right now. Or maybe she was way too much herself. Maybe this was how she really was and she never noticed it before. "That's okay," she said, flashing a bright smile. "I can think of better things for you and me to do."

He could, too.

**A/N: Okay, I don't know about this chapter. But things will be much hotter between Nessie and Jake next chapter, ifyouknowwhatimean. I hope you all liked it. ;) **


	7. Phase One Point Five

Nessie ran a hand through her hair as she slithered out of the car sweat. "Bye," she said, in what she hoped was a beguiling, inviting voice. Well, hopefully not _too_ entrancing, because then it would seem like she was desperate. Instead, she hoped it was seductive enough to promise more, but not to use the entirety of her sensuality. Her brows drew together as she contemplated her intonations, and then she remembered she was standing outside the car--with Jake in the driver's seat, looking at her expectantly. For a moment she wondered why he was looking at her like that, and then she remembered she was supposed to be leaving.

Funny how his presence made her mind turn to mush. Along with her legs which refused to move an inch from where her feet were rooted to the ground.

"Uhh..." she began--unattractively, her mind hastened to add-- "I'll see you tomorrow... Tuesday, yeah?" She bit her lip, awaiting confirmation.

"Definitely," Jake nodded. He mentally cursed over his choice of words. 'Definitely'? Really? That made him sound like some valley-girl. Did he normally talk like that? He racked his brain. He didn't remember ever using words like 'totally' and 'like' and 'definitely', but he couldn't be sure. He figured it was better to get away from here, and fast.

And then he remembered that he, too, had to get out of the car.

_Smooth move, Romeo_, he thought sarcastically.

Nessie grinned, "I forgot that you were using Mom's car."

"Me, too."

He turned off the engine and extracted the keys before hopping out of the Ferrari. He figured Bella and Edward could move it later. He certainly wasn't going to do it. Speaking of doing it, what if Bella and Edward had done it in that car? What if Nessie--by her ominous remark when they were driving--meant to do that? In the car? There was no way in hell he was going to do it where that damned bloodsucker had made his mark...

"Stop thinking," Nessie warned, ineffectively shoving an elbow into Jake's hard abdomen. "If you aren't aware, Edward is present."

"I'm aware." Like hell he couldn't smell the vampires.

Nessie winced. Of course he was aware. When wasn't he ever aware of anything? He was also damned aware of her huge crush on him, she was certain. He was probably even aware of her dreams about him that had her all but begging for the real person.

Of course, he seemed to have the same issue. She was--almost!--positive that he liked her just as much as she liked him. But there was still confirming, validating, and over thinking left to do. As soon as she got into her bedroom, far from Edward, she planned on mulling over every single one of his words and gestures and deciphering them.

They reached the door to the Cullen's mansion. Nessie hesitated for a moment, her fingers brushing the doorknob. Jake put his hand over hers and twisted the doorknob before flinging it open.

"Jacob." Edward's voice reverberated through Jake's eardrums.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Keep your head clear. Come on, Jake, you can do it..._

"Edward," Jake responded dryly. "Here are the keys. I've gotta get going. My dad's in need of a--er--hand. Fixing up some engine. See you around." He tossed the keys to where Edward stood, and then whipped around and headed to the forest, where Nessie presumed he would end up morphing into a wolf... naked.

Nessie's body shook slightly. Stupid, stupid, stupid thought.

"Hi Daddy," she said sweetly, entering the mansion tentatively. "Why are you just standing there?"

He growled in response. "He's not good for you, Nessie."

"What are you talking about, Daddy?" Nessie assumed it was better to pretend not to know what the fuck he was talking about. "He's just a friend." _A sexy, beastly, savage friend. _

"Nessie," he said softly, as if trying to coax her thoughts out.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." _Although I really don't think you understand._ "Jake and I have a good time together." _A really, really _good_ time._ "We're just friends." _With benefits_. "I've got to do homework."

She dashed upstairs, but not before Edward caught up to her and held onto her wrist with a small amount of pressure. "Nessie. Please. Don't make this harder than it already is."

"Dad. I'm not stupid. And I'm not your little girl anymore, alright? If I wanted to do something, I'd do it without your permission!" she snapped. Shit. She wasn't thinking. "Let go," she hissed, breaking free her wrist. She just spilled. Not exactly spilled, but implied.

She was in deep shit.

Edward's golden eyes caught hers. She searched his gaze for a split second before darting down the stairs. Her brain was screaming, Fight or flight and she decided the flight option would be much more effective. Edward reached for her, but she twisted out of his grasp and ran for the door.

"Nessie! Stop!"

His voice seemed miles away. Blood was drumming through her ears, quickly becoming the only sound she could hear. Instinct took control of her body. She swung open the door and dashed out, following Jacob's scent.

"Nessie!" Edward called, running behind her. She now could make out his footfalls, mere yards away. She had to speed up. Her legs extended farther, the ground striking the bottom of her shoes hard. In the faraway back of her mind, she thought that the pretty shoes wouldn't last the run.

If, of course, she could even last. Edward was gaining on her, only a couple feet behind her. She couldn't let him catch her. She had to get out of the way. She had to run. Find Jacob. Do something.

Her pupils dilated, taking in her surroundings. Trees. Pine trees. Evergreens. Conifers. Stumps. Crickets. Grass. More trees. Too many trees. She looked upward.

And she jumped.

She heard Edward curse quietly, before slowing his pace down beneath her. She grabbed onto the bark of one of the pine trees, her feet dangling twenty feet or so in the air. She hoisted herself upwards and turned quickly, adrenaline racing through her body to her fingertips.

She lunged a couple trees in front of her, before climbing upward. Jacob's scent was less dominant as she scrambled higher, but she could still make out a faint trace of it. Edward was approaching quickly on the adjacent tree.

"Nessie, this isn't worth your effort," Edward whispered, edging toward her.

"Leave me alone!" she bellowed.

"You're acting illogically."

"You're acting like a fucking prick," she muttered, her voice low.

Edward blanched.

Nessie knew she would regret this episode later. But that was later. Her mind was shouting directions at her. Run--now! And her rational voice, her conscience, was asking her what the fuck she was doing. You called your father a 'fucking prick'. You aren't going to get away with that. Not now, not ever. It's really too bad you live forever, because your dad could realistically ground you for eternity.

Great. At least there was something to look forward to.

**A/N: Okay, sorry. Rusty chapter, I know. Quite a bit out of character, but I haven't written this in—what?—five months? So obviously it's not going to be its best. And I know, I had promised a hotter chapter, but I decided to change some of it. So… maybe next chapter? Anyway. Review and maybe I'll get next chapter out sooner-ish.**


End file.
